The History of the Historic Madison Eagle Inn Building

An unassuming single-story blue brick building stands at the midpoint of Main Street in the small town of Madison, Virginia. A large window at the front of the building looks out onto one of three crosswalks across the two-lane road that passes through the historic downtown. Home to the Madison County Eagle newspaper for nearly sixty years, staff worked remotely in their homes starting in 2020. The move eventually became permanent, and the 800-square-foot building went up for sale. After sitting empty for a year, new owners took possession. Having seen the potential for a new life in the old structure, they began a renovation project that would celebrate the building’s storied history and serve visitors to the town of Madison and the surrounding area.

Before & After

An office space with desks, chairs, stacks of magazines, newspapers, and folders. There is a cubicle with a computer and office supplies, and a hallway with more storage cabinets and electronic equipment.

September 2021

Open-concept living space with a kitchen, dining area, and bedroom, featuring wooden flooring, modern furniture, and decorative wall art.

May 2023

The Eagle’s Storied Past

On April 1, 2022, the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Historic Resources deemed the Madison Eagle a property of significance and contributing resource to the Madison County Courthouse Historic District. The building is now listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. Read the full history of the building and view the appendices.

Expand each title below to explore the history of the Historic Madison Eagle.

Black and white photograph of a classroom with students and a teacher, with a chalkboard and educational posters in the background.

  • “At the turn of the century, the office of the Madison Eagle was the law office of James Early Thrift (1872-1951) and Charles F. McMullen. The building was formerly owned by Mrs. Sally Bowcock Thrift, Mr. Thrift's mother.

    Mr. Thrift (left) was Madison's Commonwealth Attorney from 1903-1907 and was in the Virginia House of Delegates in 1908. He owned the William T. Banks home on Main Street, was an Oddfellow and vice president of the Citizens League. He moved to Oklahoma where he became a judge and eventually an advisor to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

    W. Marvin Pattie (1877-1957) is at the center of the picture at the typewriter. He attended private school in Madison run by Mr. Haywood Taylor and the Smithdeal Business School in Richmond. Pattie was owner and proprietor of the Madison House in 1907. He was an auctioneer, farmer and bird hunter. He was the father of Cora Willis Pattie of Madison.

    Charles F. McMullen (right) is seated near the roll-top desk with the bookcase behind it. He was the son of Judge Francis M. McMullen of Madison, and was Mr. Thrift's law partner, McMullen was Commonwealth Attorney in 1908. He moved to Oklahoma shortly afterwards." –Text from the Madison County Eagle, October 3, 1985

Person dressed as Santa Claus on sidewalk near building with American flag, mailbox, and parked car.

  • Santa Claus paid a visit to Main Street and the Eagle.

Newspaper article with headline "The Madison County Eagle Moves Into Own Building." and a black and white photo of a house, captioned "Pictured above is the new home of the Madison County Eagle on Main Street, now in process of complete renovation."

  • "John F. Kennedy was still in the White House when The Madison County Eagle moved into what is still its current 'house.' The lead story in the paper’s March 28, 1963 edition announces its move to the then-unpainted red brick building at 201 N. Main St. It was purchased from the estate of Medford Hoffman, the building’s longtime owner, who operated a store in it. You’d have to go back quite a few more presidents to get to the one serving when the structure was originally built. That one would be John Adams, the nation’s second president." —Text by Don Richeson, Madison County Eagle, December 29, 2010

A blue brick building with a sign that reads "Madison Eagle" hanging near the corner. The building has a large window and some potted plants outside. There are leafless trees and power lines in the background.

  • "In early February, we reported that our building was for sale. When Berkshire Hathaway (BH) sold its newspapers in the spring of 2020 to Lee Enterprises, BH remained the owner of the real estate, including our Madison Blue building on Main Street. They have since sold several buildings, including most recently, ours. The time has now come to move.

    As of Aug. 31, our time in this office will come to an end and our nearly 58-year history here will be but a blip in the building’s 220-year history. We wish the next tenants well and hope they’ll be good stewards of the building. Maybe they’ll even embrace the Madison Blue." —Madison County Eagle, August 25, 2021. Photo by Gracie Brooks.

New Life for the Historic Building

Renovations to the Eagle began in November 2023.

An office space with desks, chairs, computers, and paperwork. The room has white walls, a drop ceiling with fluorescent lights, and a small window.
Office space with cluttered desks and stacks of papers, orange cans on a table, a coat hanger, and two fire extinguishers on the wall. The room has white walls, a window with metal bars, and a glass door.
A small crowded storage room with an artificial Christmas tree on the floor, a water heater, ladders, cardboard boxes, and scattered Christmas ornaments.
A small bathroom with a toilet, a utility sink, and cleaning supplies on top of the toilet tank. There is a toilet paper roll on the wall and a small square hole in the wall. The floor is covered with beige tiles.

September 2021: Inside the Madison County Eagle newspaper office at the time of the buidling’s sale. Left: Looking at the building from the Main St entrance. Right: The rear entrance, where guests enter today. The bathroom was completely removed and reinstalled. The location of the reading nook today appeared to be a dark room for photo development.

A blue-painted brick building with a sloped roof, electrical wires, and a brick chimney. There are trees, a parking lot, and a street in the background. Also, a waste bin is outside the building.
A room undergoing renovation with exposed drywall, insulation, construction debris, and workers. One worker stands on a ladder near a partially built wall, with construction tools and wires scattered on the floor. A door leading outside is visible in the background.
Room under renovation with damaged ceiling, construction workers, tools, and debris on the floor.
Room under renovation with ceiling partially removed, showing exposed wooden beams, debris on the floor, and two people standing near the doorway.

November 2021: Demolition began, removing old built-in furniture, the drop ceiling, and other structures.

Blue-painted building with a sign that reads "Madison Eagle," a large window, and a white door with mailboxes outside. In front, there are small potted plants, a white picket fence, and newspaper stands, with a sidewalk and street in the foreground.
A small, dark blue house with a white door and a window, situated on a gravel lot with some grass and plants, and a clear sunny sky overhead. There are power lines and a chimney on the roof, with bright sunlight causing lens flare in the image.
A vintage paper document with printed text listing prices for county subscriptions and other services, accompanied by a small paper stamp and a printed label that reads 'Tell then you read it in the eagle'.
Close-up of old forms and a yellow check with handwritten and printed text, resting on a wooden surface.
Vintage cardboard box containing four blue glass Christmas tree ornaments.

November 2021: Items found during demolition included an old subscription fee card, a lost paycheck for Ms. Charlotte Gallihugh (1973), and midcentury Christmas ornaments.

Interior room under renovation with exposed brick wall, unfinished drywall, and a window with plaid curtains.
Interior of a house under renovation, showing exposed wooden framing, a ladder, and construction materials.
Interior view of a house under construction with exposed insulation, wooden framing, and wall studs.
Empty living room with hardwood floors, a large window with turquoise curtains, hanging pendant lights, and a ceiling fan.
Empty living space with hardwood floors, light-colored walls, a window, and kitchen area with cabinets and supplies.

March 2023: After a long and arduous renovation process, the Eagle as we know it today started to come to life. Though we don’t know the original date of the wood floors, we know they’re quite old, having been found under a layer of carpet and a layer of tile. It was a thrill to bring them back to life!

A partially furnished kitchen with a wooden table, black cabinets, a stainless steel refrigerator, and a wall-mounted wooden open shelf. The ceiling has a dark brown ceiling fan and hanging light fixtures. The room has hardwood floors, and there are various boxes and cleaning supplies around, indicating ongoing organization or moving.
A room with a wooden dining table, packing materials, and furniture covered in plastic, indicating it is being moved or renovated. There are pendant lights, a ceiling fan, a window with curtains, and various boxes and bags on the floor.
Living room with hardwood floors, a green shelving unit on the left with various items, a wooden table in the center, a beige couch against the back wall, a window covered with blue curtains, and some boxes and tools scattered around.

April 2023: We finally felt the thrill of move-in day and putting all the final touches on the Historic Madison Eagle just as spring had sprung.

A cozy living room corner with a wooden entertainment center, a chair with a pillow, a bookshelf, and wall art.
A cozy living space with a dining area, a kitchen, and a bedroom in an open floor plan. The room has wood flooring, a ceiling fan, and several framed pictures on the wall.
A kitchen with navy blue cabinets, a granite countertop, a stainless steel refrigerator, a black microwave and oven, a wooden shelf cabinet, a flower vase with pink and yellow flowers near a sink, a bottle of wine, two wine glasses, and a soap dispenser.

May 2023: The Historic Madison Eagle officially opened for guests in mid-May 2023. Confirming the demand we suspected for short-term stays in the area, we welcomed our first guests within one week of launching the listing on Airbnb.com.

Book Your Stay at the Eagle